Automatic car-brake



S. W. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIG UAR BRAKE.

No. 317,860, Patented May 12, 1886.

3 Sheefs-Sheet 2.

Patentd Ma "12, 1885.

1 C. J D.

14 W n m I n m S. W. ROBINSON. AUTOMATIC OAR BRAKE.

(No Model.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

S. W. ROBINSGN. l

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE. No. 317,860. Patented May 12, 1885 WITNESSES 1 JV VEJV' TOR .dttorney N PETERS. Phnlo-Ulhographer. Waihmglon, o, u.

Unrrnn S'rarns ATENT tries.

STIIlLMAN WV. ROBINSON, COLUMBUS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROTE AUTOMATIC I BRAKE COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

@IPI-ECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,860, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed March 30, 1885. (N'o model.) l

controlled by means of a governor on the axle,

and intermediate mechanism through which I the brake mechanism may be set to be acted upon by the draw-bar or relieved from being acted upon thereby, as will be explained; and it consists in a novel construction of governor for setting and relieving the brake-actuating 2o mechanism; in a novel manner of connecting the brake-lever with the draw-bar, and in the combination, with said lever, of a movable fulcrum, by means of which the brake-lever may either be made to apply the brakes or to vibrate thedraw-bar without applying them; in means for rendering the action of thebrakes uniform and compensating for Wear of the brakeshoes, and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts in carrying out said improvements, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 represents a plan View of a portion of a platformframe, partly broken away, and truck with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through Fig. 1, showing the brake-setting mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation enlarged of the governor, looking from, the

side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. 'Fig. 4 represents a front elevation of the governor and a portion of the axle to which it is secured. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views; and

Fig. 8 shows a modification in the form of some of parts hereinafter described.

A, A, and A represent portions of the platform-frame of a car, and B B parts of a truck'frame, both of which frames may be of any usual or preferred construction, and to opening at its upper end, is angular in form,

the truckframe the axles and wheels are ap- 5O plied in any usual manner.

The central longitudinal timbers of the platform-frame are provided with pendent guides or hounds, between which the drawbar, C slides, held outward in practice by any usual or preferred arrangement of buffersprings.

To the frame-timber A and A either or both, is secured an angle-iron, D, shown bolted through its vertical portion to the outer side of timber A", with its horizontal portion D extending under the timbers A and A and the draw bar and secured to A. This angle-iron or bracket D is provided in its vertical arm, in close proximity with its horizontal arm, with a slot, (1, through which a brake-lever, E, passes, the inner end orarrn of which is pivoted permanently to the lower face of the draw-bar at e, as shown in dotted. lines in Fig. 1. This lever is by preference made in the angular or bell-crank form shown, and is provided at its inner angle with a step or offset at e, for a purpose which will be explained.

The vertical side or portion of the angleiron D has an inclined groove or way formed in it at D terminating at its lower end at slot (2, open on its side adjacent to the timber A and closed thereby when secured in'place, and in which groove or way is arranged a sliding fulcrum-block, F, adapted to slide down across the plane of slot d and to rest upon the horizontal portion D of the angleiron D. The groove or way D instead of 8 as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2, its up- 5 per end turning inward or rearward, as indi cated at D and being open to receive and guide by bearing-points d d the movements of the forward or outer end of a wedge or lever-arm, G, which passes also through a guiding-loop or vertica1ly-slotted bracket, y, secured to timber A, and is secured at its inner end to the upper end of an upright lever, H. The car-truck has secured to it, preferably to a fixed part, B, thereof, a bracket, b, having ears,in which is pivoted a casting or bellcrank piece, I, to which arms or lever H and To provide for the swing of the truck as the.

car moves around curves, the arm H is pivoted to crank-piece I, as shown, and in such manner that the top end of arm H may swing I the swing of the truck on a curved track.

laterally in said crank-piece I in a direction relative to the truck, which will be approximately the are of a circle concentric with the main center pin or king-bolt,v pivoting the truck to the car-body. The topend of arm H being jointed to wedge G, while the latter is confined to the vertical slot in bracket 9, it will be readily understood that the height of the curved fend of arm H is not affected by The crank-piece I is slotted to receive arm H, the slot giving said arm H play endwise, but not edgewise, and nearly in the direction of the arc of a circle concentric to truck center-pin. The axle B has secured to it a divided sleeve, J, and boxing surrounding it, the two parts of which are provided with flangesjj,through which by means of suitable bolts or other fastenings the sleeve is clamped firmly to the axle. This boxing around the sleeve is provided with a series of compartments surrounding the axle, four (more or less may be used) being shown,in which are secured aseries of weighted centrifugal slides, K K K K which pass through suitable guiding eyes or perforations in the side and end flanges or walls of the compartments, one of which is shown in section in Fig. 5. These slides curve through an arc of ninety degrees, (more or'less,) the ends is thereof projecting through one end of the boxing or compartments and lying parallel, or nearly so, to the axle,and being, by preference, rounded and sliding through a circular guiding eye or perforation at. a, while the other end, adjacent to the weight K, is squared or polygonal in form, (in cross-section,) and the guiding eye or perforation a being made in corresponding form the rotation of theeurved slide in its guides or bearings is prevented. The slides also are made to fit closely between the sides of the compartments to aid in preventing rotation and cramping of the slides.

The sleeve J, here shown and described as extending along the axle through the boxing .and out some distance beyond the arm H, may, if preferred, be entirely omitted, in which case the two ends of the boxing are fitted to and brought directly against the axle by the clamping screws through flanges jj; but in this case the arm H and the centrifugal slides may touch the axle and weaken it by abrasion. The rounded ends of the slides are provided with pins or other suitable stops, 7c, which prevent them from being withdrawn within thebox under centrifugal action. The arrangement is such that when the axle is in rapid motion the weights K will be thrown outward by centrifugal action, and will withdraw the rounded ends inward within its box or chamber as far as the pin k will permit and from under the lever H, whereas, when the speed of the axle becomes reduced sufficiently to allow the weights to fall inward toward the axle, the rounded ends is of the. slides will be thrust inward under the lever H, and acting thereon in the rotation of the axle they serve to lift or crowd the lever H- outward or upward away from the axle, and the latter, acting through the arm or lever H on the wedge or slide G, draws the latter backward or away from over the fulcrum'block F, leaving the latter free to rise in its inclined groove or track, acted'upon by and crowded up out of the way of the brake-lever E as the latter is carried inward by the sliding draw'bar. By the arrangement described it will be seen that when the weights K are thrown out by centrifugal action the arms 70 of the centrifugal slides will be drawn inward out of the way of lever H, and thelatter drops inward toward the axle by its own gravity, forcing the wedge or slide G inward over the fulcrum-block F, thereby wedging said block downward across the path of the brake-lever E, and the latter being held by it is rocked or vibrated by the inward movement of the draw-bar and operates the brakes in a manner that will be readily understood, while, when the wedge or slide G is withdrawn by the action of the arms 76, as explained, the fulcrum-block F will be free to rise and let the lever E vibrate with the draw-bar without acting on the brakes.

When the cars are at rest,'or moving slowly under control of the engine, the slide'or wedge G will be withdrawn and the fulcrunrblock F free to rise, so that in compressing or thrusting in the draw-head to back the car at any time the lever E will readily thrust the fulcrum-block out of its path and pass under without acting on the brakes, and in backing for considerable distances, and at such speed as would throw out the weighted governorarms and cause the lever H to drop where it is desired to prevent the fulcrum-block from dropping into plate behind the brake-lever in such manner as to act thereon after the latter has been accidentally drawn out in the passage of the car over sags or a downgrade in the track, I provide the fulcrunrblock on its rear face, near its upper end, with a notch or depression, f, with which the end of the slide or wedge G engages as the latter is thrust inward, and which serves to prevent the fulcrumblock from falling, and so effectually prevents the application of the brakes in backing the car; but when it is preferred that the brakes shall be applicable in backing at speeds above that which will throw out the centrifugal weights of the governor I dispense with the notch f and bevel the upper end of the fulcrum-block, as shown atf, Fig. 7, so as to adapt it to fall readily behind the brakelever when the latter is drawn out by the draw-bar.

The walls ofthe socket orpartD ofthe groove or way D Figs. 2 and 6, are provided near the opening thereof with lips or spurs d d, which serve as fulcrum-points and guides for the wedge or slide G; also, the vertical slot in the bracket 9 is considerably in excess ofthe length of the fulcrum-block so as to allow this end of slide G to rise and fall with arm H as much as may be occasioned by the varying compression of the car springs from different loading on the car. Accordingly the angular position of slide G with respect to the draft timber A varies with the car-load,causing the end acting upon the fulcrum-block F to throw the latter downward farthest when the car is loaded. This, considered in connection with the inclined position of block F, shows that when said block F is lowest the brakelever E is thrown farther, thus applying the brake with greater intensity. By this means the brakes are more intensely applied when the car is loaded,and the intensity varies V with variation of that load.

The outer or free end of the brakelever,E, is connected by a rod or chain, it, with the usual brake'levers on the car-truck for oper ating the brakes in any usual manner, and a stop at h serves to hold said end of the lever in proper working relation to the truck-levers while permitting the free vibration of the opposite end of the brake-lever with the drawbar.

For equalizing the action of the lever E under all conditions of the brake-shoes and compensating for wear of the latter, instead of securing the rod or chain h directly to the end of said lever in the usual manner, said end is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 7, and has a cross-head or T-shaped piece, L, connected at the foot of its standard with said forked end by a pivot, Z, as shown. The arms L L of block L are also bifurcated, and the inner arm has a pin or pivot, Z, from which aspring extends to a pin, 6 on the lever E. The preferred form of construction of this spring is shown in Fig. 7,con sisting of a coiled springflil, interposed and partially compressed between hook-links m and m, through which it is connected with the pins Z and e" in such manner that as the said pins are drawn one away from the other the spring M will be further compressed and its tension increased, while the relation of the arm L topin e is such that as said arm is vibrated or drawn away from the lever E the spring will vibrate toward the pivotal center of the block L, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and the leverage of said arm will be'diminished. The brake rod or chain is secured to the end of the outer arm, L, of the block L, and as the latter is vibrated outward the length of the lever E will be thereby increased, as shown by dotted lines, and the throw of said end willbe correspondingly increased thereby with the takeup of spring M compensating fully for any wear in the brake-shoe ascompared with its condition when the brakelever is first adjusted to it,and rendering the action of the brake uniform.

The shoulder or offset 6 forms the ordinary bearing of the brake-lever E on the fulcrumblock, and on its side or end 6 adjacent to the outer end of said lever is curved or beveled to permit, after the inner end of the lever reaches a certain point in its inward throw, to gradually creep around on the inner side of the fulcrum-bloclgand so to relieve the parts of the increasing strain which would otherwise ensue and endanger their safety.

In Fig. 8 a modification in the form of the movable brake-lever is shown, said fulcrum consisting ofa spur or shoulder, F, on alever, N, pivoted in the bracket or casting D, or other suitable point of support, and weighted on its forward end to hold the shoulder F normally in position to intercept or engage the brakelever E in its backward movement, but not sufficient to hold it in engagement therewith and prevent its displacement by the movement of the brake-lever when not locked or held in place by other means. The rear or inner end of this lever extends over the upright arm H of lever H when the latter is depressed or not being acted on by the centrifugal governor arms or slides, and said arm H is pro vided with a cam-shaped end or friction-roller, a, which passes under and upholds the lever N. When the governor-arms act 011 the lever H to lift it, the cam or roller a is withdrawn from the support of the lever N, and the fulcrum-point F will be free to be crowded out of the way of the brake lever. In this construction the cam or roller end may be made in backing the car at speed to pass over the end of the lever, as indicated in dotted lines, and thus io prevent the fulcrum-point or shoulder F from engaging the brakelever in passing through sags or depressions in the tracks.

Other forms of lever or means for setting and relieving the fulcrum-block may be used; but those shown are sufficient to illustrate my invention.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In an automatic car-brake mechanism, a governor consisting of a series of weights adapted to be thrown out by centrifugal action and secured to curved slides or arms moving in curved paths, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic car-brakemechanism,the curved centrifugal slides on the axle, in combination with the curved lever for setting or relieving the brakelever fulcrum, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic car-brake mechanism, a brake-lever connected at one end to the brake rod or chain and having its other end pivoted to and moving with the sliding draw-bar, in combination with a movable fulcrum and means, substantially as described, for moving said fulcrum into and out of the path of said brake-lever.

4. The combination, in an automatic carbrake mechanism, of a sliding draw-bar or brake-lever pivoted to said draw-bar, a movable brake-lever fulcrum, and connections thence with the centrifugal governor on the axle, substantially as described, for controlling or setting and relieving said fulcrum.

5.. The brake-lever pivoted to the draw-bar, in combination with a movable fulcrum for said lever and a governor or centrifugal weights on the axle for setting and relieving said fulcrum, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the sliding draw-bar, the brake-lever pivoted thereto, the movable fulcrum for saidlever, the weighted governorarms on the axle, and the curved lever interposed between said governor-arms and the movable fulcrumblock, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the brakelever, of the pivoted block or cross-head interposed between said lever and the brake rod or chain,

and the spring connecting said block and 1ever, arranged and operating substantially as described.

8. The brake-lever adapted to be operated upon at one end by the sliding draw-bar and having its opposite end forked, as described, in combination with the pivoted and yielding block or cross-head L, through which connection is made with the brake rod or chain, substantially as described.

9. The brake-lever secured atone end to and operated by the draw-bar and provided with the bearing-shoulder e substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The brakelever secured atone end to the drawbar, in combination with the movable fulcrunrblock for said lever and the wedge-shaped piece for controlling the position of the fulcrum-block to hold it either in or out of engagement with the brake-lever" in backing, as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March, A. D. 1885.-

STILLMAN W. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

FRANK G. BAILEY, FREDERICK \V. WOOD. 

